After Imola, Canadian GP at risk of getting postponed or canceled due to forest fires

Last month, the Imola GP had to be called off due to heavy rains. Now it looks like a similar situation could occur but for a different reason.

The Canadian GP is under threat due to forest fires, the flames of which have wreaked havoc in Canada since the beginning of the year, and Quebec is the latest province to be engulfed by the flames.

The forest fires couldn't have come at a worse time as F1 heads to North America next weekend. The Canadian GP is scheduled to be held on June 18 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, with the weekend beginning on Friday (June 16).

According to a report by El Pais, there are currently 154 active fires in the province. The city of Montreal is not directly affected by forest fires, but the air quality index of the city is classified as 'high risk,' with the smoke from the fires engulfing the city. Smoke is also reported to pass across the Canadian border to faraway cities like New York.

Since the beginning of the year, waves of forest fires have struck the country, with more than 3.3 million hectares of land burned down. More than 1,20,000 people evacuated from the affected provinces, and the situation is predicted to worsen through the summer.

F1 faces yet another tough decision as it has to decide the fate of the Canadian GP. If the situation worsens, Formula 1 will once again put the safety of the people first by canceling the race. However, it will be a huge loss for the organizers.

Ahead of the Canadian GP, F1 has not released any official statement about the situation in the host country. The race is currently scheduled to go ahead as planned.

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Fernando Alonso warns rivals ahead of the Canadian GP

Fernando Alonso in the Spanish GP

Compared to the high standards set by Aston Martin this year, the Spanish GP was an underwhelming weekend for the Silverstone team. They took home disappointing sixth and seventh-place finishes.

After an uneventful home race, Fernando Alonso has now set his eyes on the Canadian GP, where he is determined to crush his rivals. Alonso's optimistic outlook is backed by the upgrades set to be introduced by the team next week.

According to SoyMotor.com, the Spaniard said:

"In terms of Constructors, it’s true that Mercedes took some important points from us, but we took points from Ferrari again.

"In Canada, we will bring more stuff, in Silverstone too… It will depend on who brings the improvements. Even with a normal time, we would have been on a par with Hamilton and maybe we would have had a better chance.

"I think it’s a race and in Canada, we crush them."

After the Spanish GP, Mercedes claimed the second spot in the constructors' standings as Aston Martin dropped to third, trailing the Silver Arrows by 18 points.